George Lombard Jr., Luis Arráez rumors foreshadow massive Yankees' trade deadline

It's no secret the Yankees need to have an impactful trade deadline. It's also no secret that the Yankees are annually linked to the biggest names/moves in all of MLB. That's just the way it is. While we have to take some of the rumors with a grain of salt, we can also understand the overarching picture has Brian Cashman conducting serious work with the active roster.

We recently speculated that the Yankees' treatment of Anthony Volpe was foreshadowing a George Lombard Jr. promotion in the not-too-distant future, and it seems everything continues to trend in that direction.

Jon Heyman reported on Friday that the Yankees are likely to promote Lombard Jr. to the MLB roster within the next couple weeks. Does that mean he's going to start at shortstop or hop around the infield? The Yankees have stated his glove is MLB-ready and he's capable of playing second, shortstop and third.

But now comes the wrinkle. Heyman also said the Yankees are interested in trading for Luis Arráez, who, at this point, is firmly a second baseman. Does that mean there's a chance Arráez is imported, Jazz Chisholm Jr. is traded, Lombard Jr. takes over at shortstop, and Jose Caballero becomes the official utility infielder?

That would also leave the Yankees with a massive Anthony Volpe question. Does he stay around as a backup? Is he traded? He's already been de-emphasized, so there's no way he gets more of an opportunity after the Yankees make sweeping changes.

Yankees rumored to promote George Lombard Jr., eye Luis Arráez via trade

While Arráez has been a talking point among Yankees fans yearning for more contact and fewer swing and miss, it's important to acknowledge that bringing him aboard would require a lot of roster shuffling (assuming Lombard Jr. is also part of the plan and not eventually traded for a star acquisition). Joel Sherman added extra fuel to the fire entering the weekend, noting that if he were running the team, he'd prefer Arraez's level of focus to Chisholm's come playoff time.

Whether Arráez is part of the plan or not, these rumors (along with the Mason Miller buzz) suggest there's going to be some heavy Cashman lifting at the deadline. Perhaps there's another shortstop coming aboard. There's always the likelihood of more pitching, which we can expect. And of course there's a need for a starting catcher.

We know the pre-deadline craze will always feature a ton of nonsense, but the Yankees rumors are creating a ton of momentum for various changes — all of which have a good case for being addressed. The AL remains wide open and the Yankees have far from a perfect roster. With a lockout looming and concerns over the longevity of Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole, don't be surprised if there's a notable makeover with big names by Aug. 3.

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